Deputy Speaker: Make public servants` payments transparent

Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly Job Ndugai has called for the formation of a state organ that will regulate, set salary standards and allowance payments for public servants.

According to him, countries with salary commissions are no longer debating public servants’ allowances and salaries due to transparency.

He said such information is set by grades and placed on websites, accessible to all interested parties.

Speaking last night on ITV’s 45 Minutes talk show, Ndugai stressed that Tanzanians have the right to complain over legislators’ sitting allowances because they have come to know of the information through media.

He pointed out that apart from MPs there are also some public servants and retired government officials in state organs who are paid a lot of money.

“We can only get out of these debates through formation of a salary commission. We want all public servants salaries regulated by special organs and placed on websites. There is a big difference of allowance payments even among MPs themselves”, he said.

He said that following public complaints Parliament will discuss the matter in its meetings scheduled for January 29th, 2012 and give feedback to wananchi. He said most of the people have been complaining without suggesting solutions to the issue.

He said it was not proper to cancel allowances but the government should look into ways of enabling ordinary citizens financially and ensure better life for all. He said MPs salaries were comparable to those of managers and directors in big companies or the private sector.

Ndugai went as far as saying that the salary commission should also set standards for other types of allowances.

On the recent incidents whereby NCCR-Mageuzi and Civic United Front (CUF) expelled their legislators for different reasons including violation of their party’s constitution, Ndugai said it wasn’t fair to suspend MPs without listening to voters.

He said the new constitution should review the Act that gives too much power to political parties and look for possibilities of allowing private candidates.

The public has been protesting against the hike of lawmakers’ sitting allowances from 70,000/- to 200,000/- per day.

The increase caused heated debate with religious leaders, teachers and doctors describing the decision as selfish.